Third Coast Old Ale

Brewed by Bells Brewery
Style: Barley Wine
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

12oz bottle from City Beverage in Winston-Salem, enjoyed out of a Duck-Rabbit pint glass in a mall parking lot as a "pre-party" beer (don’t worry, I wasn’t driving). Pours a clear dark reddish-brown with a foamy beige head. Aroma is caramel, molasses, dark fruits, mild roast, and brown sugar. Flavor is malty and fairly sweet with caramel, raisin, cherry, wood, brown sugar, and maple syrup. Palate smooth, full, and creamy with some alcohol warmth. Another great one from Bells.

Two year old Third Coast Ale. Aroma is of fruit, maple sugar, oak, syrup, and roast. Flavor is of maple syrup, dried fruit, oak, and roasted grains. Finish is a little alcoholic with a hint of brown sugar. Coats the mouth. Ages like the remainder of the human race in a mineshaft over 100 years (Dr. Strangelove), sweetly -- complex like a sample of the human race. But really, a great beer. Deserving of the humor of Stanley Kubrick.

From coyotehunter via trade. Poured an attractive dark copper/light ruby color with very little head. The beer was almost viscous, thick and clingy. Lots of malts, dark fruits and light citrus with a nice whiff of alcohol. The flavor is malts, dark fruits, light spice and citrus with some pleasant warming alcohol. Nice coating mouthfeel. Enjoyable and well made.

33 cl bottle, Fargo, ND, USA via Kalamazoo. Thick and syrupy looking pour, hazy orange autumn leave colour. Earthy aroma, mild raisin. Mildly syrupy in the mouth, sweet, with a creeping alcohol finish that is balanced by the sweetness.

Bottle at Akkurat. Pours clear red brown with a beige head. Smells of citrus hops, red berries and a bit vinous. Tastes sweet and a bit burnt like gluwine.

Bottle. Very good brew! The body is incredible soft and smooth. Tastes and smells dried fruits, spices and bitterness in the aftertaste. One of the best american barley wines i’ve had.

Nose of caramel apples, dark fruit, light hop presence is somewhat noticeable too. Nice reddish amber, hazy, thin foam ring. Caramel apples, earth, some darker fruit notes, decent spicy hop bitterness, and some alcoholic notes. Nice bitter hops balance out the caramel apple sweetness. Soft carbonation and big bodied.

(12oz bottle) Pours a cloudy brown with oily bubbles and low head. Nose is alcoholic, raisins, caramel and spices. Taste is spicy hops, alcohol kick, and more cinnamon. Finishes with the spicy hops and has a nice sweet malty backbone to compliment the whole thing. The body is thick and oily as it should be. A really nice barley wine.